Myfanwy Pavelic
Encyclopedia
Myfanwy Pavelic, CM
, OBC
, CPA
, (April 27, 1916 – May 7, 2007) née Spencer, was a Canadian
portrait artist.
, British Columbia
to an upper class family, her first interests in fine art came after meeting with Emily Carr
on Vancouver Island who later gave a brief series of instruction to Pavelic. During the Second World War she held a one person exhibition of portraits in Canada and donated the proceeds to the Red Cross. She later married a diplomat and had one daughter who suffered a disability.
Pavelic lived a life of privilege and as an adult. Her childhood home was later donated to the City of Victoria and converted into the first art gallery.
Pavelic was one of few Canadian artists who had their work shown at the National Portrait Gallery, where her portrait of Yehudi Menuhin
was displayed. She later donated the portrait of her friend to the National Portrait Gallery, making her the first known Canadian-born artist to be represented in their permanent collection.
.
In 1997 she became a founding member of the Canadian Portrait Academy
(CPA) and in 1998 won the F.H. Varley Medallion for Best Portrait Painting for her portrait of Pierre Elliot Trudeau.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, OBC
Order of British Columbia
The Order of British Columbia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour...
, CPA
Canadian Portrait Academy
The Canadian Portrait Academy , is a professional Canadian art academy dedicated to the practice and appreciation of portraiture within Canada and abroad.-History:...
, (April 27, 1916 – May 7, 2007) née Spencer, was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
portrait artist.
Early life and career
Born in VictoriaVictoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to an upper class family, her first interests in fine art came after meeting with Emily Carr
Emily Carr
Emily Carr was a Canadian artist and writer heavily inspired by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. One of the first painters in Canada to adopt a post-impressionist painting style, Carr did not receive widespread recognition for her work until later in her life...
on Vancouver Island who later gave a brief series of instruction to Pavelic. During the Second World War she held a one person exhibition of portraits in Canada and donated the proceeds to the Red Cross. She later married a diplomat and had one daughter who suffered a disability.
Pavelic lived a life of privilege and as an adult. Her childhood home was later donated to the City of Victoria and converted into the first art gallery.
Pavelic was one of few Canadian artists who had their work shown at the National Portrait Gallery, where her portrait of Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE was a Russian Jewish American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born to Russian Jewish parents in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985...
was displayed. She later donated the portrait of her friend to the National Portrait Gallery, making her the first known Canadian-born artist to be represented in their permanent collection.
Awards and honours
In 1984, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada. In 2001, she was made a Member of the Order of British ColumbiaOrder of British Columbia
The Order of British Columbia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour...
.
In 1997 she became a founding member of the Canadian Portrait Academy
Canadian Portrait Academy
The Canadian Portrait Academy , is a professional Canadian art academy dedicated to the practice and appreciation of portraiture within Canada and abroad.-History:...
(CPA) and in 1998 won the F.H. Varley Medallion for Best Portrait Painting for her portrait of Pierre Elliot Trudeau.
External links
- Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...
- From Menuhin to Trudeau, she painted them all at Victoria Times-ColonistVictoria Times-ColonistThe Times Colonist is an English-language daily newspaper in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It was formed by the merger, in 1980, of the Victoria Daily Times, established in 1884, and the British Colonist , established in 1858 by Amor De Cosmos, who was also British Columbia's second...
- Canadian Portrait Academy